What to expect when you're interning

What to expect when you're interning

What is it that interns should be doing and what is it they should absolutely avoid?

Where should they draw the line?

Is internship as crucial as they make it out to be?

As part of an ongoing series, we asked five young students about their learnings in their various internships and for their advice to their young colleagues.With internships becoming a norm, it is crucial to understand just what you can and cannot expect in an internship.

Today we asked five young students what their inexperienced peers can expect from their first internship, what they must do to get that job and just why it is so important to start working while you're still in college.

Nikhil Kumar (22)Fourth year student of Nanotechnology

Interned at:

Wipro

Hockey India League

WeChat

Campus Diaries

United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development

The only internship I did that was in the same line as my education was the one at Wipro," Kumar says.

"All the others were marketing and event management-related jobs.

"This was a conscious choice because in today's times you cannot afford to restrict your career growth to a single field."

His advice to young interns:

Work on your weaknesses

Assess your strengths and weaknesses and take up internships in areas where you are weak.

Build on your strengths too but focus on your weaknesses.

Let your internships be diverse:

Avoid restricting yourself to your area of specialisation. It will help you explore various options outside of your field. If you cannot explore possibilities now, when else will you explore?

Look for a start-up:

Start-ups give you a lot more freedom, their work culture isn't set in stone like the big companies. You will be more involved with the core of the project unlike anywhere else.

'Remember you are a student first'

I'd realised much earlier in life that being intelligent doesn't always take you places; being smart does," she says.

"All my internships have taught me to be more (street) smart and deal with people better.

"In my various stints, I have had the opportunity to meet with managing directors of large companies as well as students younger than me. It's made me realise the difference in the way one communicates with the two ends of the spectrum.

"I also earn a little through stipends so it has given me a great sense of independence that I hadn't experienced so far."

Her advice to young interns:

Learn as much as you can:

Be it about the very idea of working in an office setup or the nitty-gritty of your job itself.

Absorb as much as you can. Because if you don't do it now, when else will you do it?

'Do not agree to do anything that you find degrading'

I graduated from Class 12 last summer and I was hoping explore a career in fashion designing," Shroff recollects.

"I applied for internships at various fashion magazines but most of them were looking for a prior work experience.

"Only one magazine was willing to hire freshers. So we joined.

"I interned at this place for three weeks, the worst three weeks of my life.

"They treated us shabbily and the only thing we were doing was hanging clothes and putting them away in suitcases. We were shown neither appreciation nor courtesy. It was degrading to work there.

"Then one day, while we were putting away a dress, we admired how pretty it was. One of our superiors overheard us and told us that we were interns and our opinion wasn't asked for. It was so humiliating we decided to quit.

"We did bring this up with one of our bosses but we were told that this was how they treated interns.

"After three weeks, we quit. Neither of us got paid -- not that we were expecting to -- and we walked away humiliated. I don't think I will ever go back there.

"But none of this has put me off internships. I understand internships are important and we need to have work experience before we graduate. I am now in my first year of Mass Media and am specialising in advertising. This summer I am hoping to intern at an advertising agency. Hopefully I'll have a better experience there."

Her advice to young interns:

Take up a job you really like.

Ensure you are treated well

Do not agree to do anything that you find degrading

Do NOT tolerate anyone being rude to you

Just because you are young and are not getting paid does not mean people can treat you in whatever way they can.

'Learn to be professional'

When I first started interning in college, the idea was to just pass the time," Desai says. "It seemed like a fun thing to do."

"College ended at noon and there wasn't much to keep me busy. Working seemed like a legitimate way to pass the time and perhaps make money on the side.

"My internships have opened a whole new world before me. I've met people I'd have otherwise not met, experienced new cultures and become financially independent even before I've completed my college.

"I am currently a social media executive at Digitaldubba where I am involved in all aspects of client servicing except finance. This means I meet clients, understand their needs, strategise social media campaigns and execute them.

"Before I started this, I was pretty sure I didn't want to take up a career in social media. Now I am half convinced that this is what I should be doing."

His advice for young interns:

You have to intern

I have friends who have never interned before and are in jobs they don't like.

They're hesitant to leave because they don't know what to do next.

If you've dabbled in various roles, by the time you're done with your education you should hopefully have a fair idea of what you want to do in the future.

Know that it won't be easy

The days will be long and tiring.

You will be managing college AND work

There will be times you want to just give it all up.

Don't give up because when you will look back at your life, these are the very years that will make you who you are.

Learn to be professional

Remember you're no longer in college and so you have to be careful about how you're interacting with your colleagues.

Learning to be professional is a lifelong process. The sooner you start it the better it is for you.

People will take advantage of you

You are young, an undergraduate and inexperienced.

People are bound to take you for a ride, people who won't pay you for your services.

There are only two ways to deal with it -- hound them till you get your money or grow up and be smarter the next time around.

Don't take up internships for the money

Well, not initially at least

When you start off, the work you do and the people you work with should be important.

Do something different each time

When you move from one internship to the next ensure you do something different.

That way you actually learn something new and are able to apply that knowledge to decide on what career you want to take up.